Mimi Mine

Of all the gifts I have received over the years, the ones that are hand-crafted are the most significant and special to me. It's not that I do not appreciate every single thing that any friend or loved one gives me. I certainly do. Because I am a person who has spent a lifetime  creating things myself, I understand how much thought and consideration, time, effort and materials are poured into the process of creating . There is something very unique and endearing about gifts from the heart and hands, even those made by the little children in our lives. Bragging is not something I do much of, at least not on myself, and I am not starting now. However, I think it will be acceptable if I brag a little on my beautiful, generous and fabulously talented friend. If you have visited my blog a few times you might remember that my friend, Harriette, and I spend a lot of time together, doing the things that we both enjoy so much. Sometimes it is going to our favorite thrift stores and ha

 I have long found carriage house or lantern style lighting to be very charming. Some people might refer to the style as Georgian. The appeal for me is the old world charm such fixtures exude. To me, the lantern style fixtures go well with the French Country aesthetic and I am quite partial to that style. The ones I so much admire are often painted black and sport lots of sparkling glass "windows" or panes of glass.  Though I adore the style, the retail price for most of these beauties is much more than I care to pay. So, I  was keeping an eye out for something that would have the characteristics I had been looking for and still be achievable at a price I was willing to pay. Some time ago, I was perusing a local thrift store and spied a light fixture that had lots of potential. It was, however, not black but a shiny brass one. It was in very good condition and, at around 22 inches in height, was a perfect size for my family/living room. The fixture had six lovel